When it comes to writing a blog, many writers put the title on the back burner. But don’t just use the first one you think of! Your title can make a world of difference, from increasing your overall ranking and visibility to convincing your readers to come back for more.
3 Ways A Title Matters for SEO
The next time you write a blog, spend a little time selecting the perfect SEO-strategy-friendly title for these three game-changing reasons:
1. Blog Titles are Your First Impression
When someone Google searches a question or a phrase, they are, contrary to the popular saying, going to judge a book by its cover—or rather a blog by its title. A well-written title, whether it be an intriguing question that demands answers or a witty and clever promise of a how-to guide, convinces a reader that the blog is worth their time. The more clicks you have on your blog, the higher your website traffic becomes!
2. Blog Titles Impact Your Keywords
Anyone writing for business SEO knows the importance of keyword research, but did you know that the words in your title have more power than in any header or body paragraph in your blog? If you’re trying to rank for certain buzzwords and key phrases, you should always find a way to feature them in your title.
Inside tip: when coming up with a creative title, be careful about how many keywords you use! Keyword overstuffing will make your blog title difficult to understand, driving readers away and decreasing clickability. Stick to one important word or phrase and leave the rest for the blog content.
3. Blog Titles Affect SERP Rankings
Blog titles, or title tags, as search engines refer to them, are crucial for how your content will rank on a page. Every title will end up in your URL—something SERPs read and analyze for helpful ranking information. Any keywords, attention-grabbing phrases, listicles, and more will help Google, Bing, and any other search engine understand where to place you on a search page.
How Long Should a Blog Title Be?
Although SERP algorithms are always changing (another reason titles matter so much to the success of your page), it’s proven that the ideal length of a blog title is 50 to 60 characters. This tends to be anywhere from seven to ten words, making it long enough to fill the use the space available on the search page but short enough so they don’t get cut off.
Ideas for Creative Blog Titles
If you’re in a rut with your titles, it’s time to step it up a notch. Follow a few title tips, ditch your same-old formats, and try one of these:
- Numbered lists: X reasons, ways, tips, ideas, facts, etc.
- How-tos: directional step-by-step answers on the Googled query
- Guides: beginner’s, expert, and ultimate guides are in-depth analyses of a specific topic
- Questions: what-is or why posts answering a question
- X vs. Y: for blogs comparing two solutions or products
- Devil’s advocate: contradict the reader’s assumption on the topic
- Answers: include the answer to the search in the title
Whether opening a local bookstore or offering online services, remember that blogging can make or break your online presence. Take your blog titles from bland to captivating, and watch your engagement rates transform!